Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed here

Mr. A. Innes CC

Mr. A. Tilbury CC

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 April 2026 were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

There were no urgent items for consideration.

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to declare any interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting. No declarations were made.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Corporate Resources regarding the provisional revenue and capital outturn for 2025/26.  A copy of the report, marked “Agenda item 4”, is filed with these minutes.

The Director, in introducing the item, highlighted the revised Appendix F to the report. The revision was made to rectify a spreadsheet error that had resulted in capital values being understated which in turn affected the percentage income return cited.

Mr. Fowler CC noted that the underspend reflected well on the Council’s financial management and that it would be used to good effect, including for highways schemes and the repayment of debt.

RESOLVED:

a)    That the 2025/26 provisional revenue and capital outturn be noted;

b)    That the prudential indicators for 2025/26 as shown in Appendix E to the report be noted;

c)    That the net revenue underspend be used for the additional commitments as specified in paragraph 86 of the report;

d)    That the East Midlands Shared Services (EMSS) Partnership Agreement addendum as set out at Appendix G to the report be approved.

(KEY DECISION)

REASONS FOR DECISION:

To note the provisional revenue and capital outturn for 2025/26 and make efficient use of the net revenue underspend.

To ensure the EMSS Partnership Agreement remains relevant and fit for purpose.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Corporate Resources regarding the outcomes of the  Efficiency Review and implications for the Council's Transformation Programme and Medium Term Financial Strategy. A copy of the report, marked “Agenda item 5”, is filed with these minutes.

Comments of the Scrutiny Commission, which had considered a report at its meeting on 11 May were circulated separately and a copy is also filed with these minutes.

The Chairman, Mr. D. Harrison CC, referred to the need to tackle the budget deficit and maximise efficiency whilst protecting services, and noted that the Better Leicestershire Programme would also complement the Council’s planning for local government reorganisation (LGR).

In response to questions, the Director advised members regarding pursuing the opportunities identified in the Review, and other issues that could affect the Council’s finances, including LGR.

RESOLVED:

a)    That the views of the Scrutiny Commission be noted;

b)    That the revised Transformation Programme at Appendix A to the report be approved and re-named the Better Leicestershire Programme;

c)    That the relevant Chief Officers, following consultation with the relevant Cabinet Lead Members, be authorised to implement the initiatives in the Better Leicestershire Programme, subject to the usual Scrutiny and Cabinet process in relation to proposed service change;

d)    That the Chief Executive and the Director of Corporate Resources, following consultation with the Leader and the Cabinet Lead Member for Resources be authorised to;

i)    mobilise the internal and external resources required to implement the Better Leicestershire Programme,

ii)   undertake any procurement or contractual processes required to deliver i) above;

e)    That up to £20m of investment to fund the net implementation costs required to deliver the Better Leicestershire Programme be approved;

f)      That the Director of Corporate Resources, following consultation with the Cabinet Lead Member, be authorised to allocate the funding at e) above from the Council’s reserves;

g)    That further reports be made to the Cabinet and the Scrutiny Commission later in the year.

(KEY DECISION)

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The revised Transformation Programme - the Better Leicestershire Programme - and delivery of the newly identified savings will support the Council in maintaining a sustainable Medium Term Financial Plan and make progress towards closing the current gap of £85m by 2029/30.

The Cabinet considered a joint report of the Director of Growth, Environment and Transport and the Director of Children and Family Services regarding Oadby and Wigston Borough Council’s Local Plan and setting out the proposed responses to the Borough Council’s Regulation 19 consultation and its declared unmet housing need. Copies of the report and a supplementary paper, both marked “Agenda item 6”, are filed with these minutes.

Dr. Bloxham CC noted the complexity of Local Plan issues (several of which were under development in the County) and said that the Council would continue to work with partners to agree the best approach to addressing the declaration of an unmet housing need.

RESOLVED:

a)    That the proposed timetable for the progression of the Oadby and Wigston Borough Council (OWBC) Local Plan be noted;

b)    That the declaration of an unmet housing need by OWBC be noted;

c)    That the County Council’s formal response to the OWBC’s Local Plan Regulation 19 consultation, set out in paragraphs 33 to 60 and the Appendix to the report be approved, noting in particular:

i)      That the County Council is considering the draft Local Plan as presented to it, and it considers that it is for OWBC to demonstrate to the Inspector(s) at the Plan’s Examination in Public why the Local Plan has been positively prepared in respect of the local housing need requirement (LHN), i.e. that the OWBC will need to demonstrate that there is a substantive evidence base to justify its conclusion that OWBC is unable to meet its LHN as calculated by the national standard method, based solely on highway reasons;

ii)     That the County Council has no fundamental issue with the Local Plan’s Spatial Strategy, but as the Local Transport Authority (LTA) it considers that the transport evidence presented by the OWBC is not sufficiently granular in detail to be able to conclude that the OWBC’s highway network would be severely congested if the area delivered housing over the Local Plan period equivalent to that calculated by the standard method;

iii)   The County Council’s formal position on the matter of the OWBC’s declaration of an unmet housing need, set out in paragraphs 46 to 57 of the report;

d)    The Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, following consultation with the relevant Cabinet Lead Members, be authorised to work with OWBC and other partners within the Leicester and Leicestershire Housing Market Area to seek to agree to the most appropriate approach to addressing the OWBC’s declaration of an unmet housing need and work through any substantive issues to resolution, to demonstrate effective and on-going joint working.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The County Council’s response sets out the key comments for consideration by OWBC in progressing its new Local Plan, seeking to influence the content of the Local Plan in the interests of local communities, including ensuring that the Local Plan provides an as robust as possible policy platform for securing the provision of the infrastructure and services that are required to supports its successful delivery.

On 25 March 2026, new regulations came into force, which meant that the Duty to Co-operate would no longer apply to new, or emerging Local Plans. Notwithstanding this change, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (December 2024) still requires “maintaining effective co-operation” across administrative boundaries (paragraphs 26-29). Inspectors are expected to continue to examine plans in line with these policies.

The County Council is considering the draft Local Plan as presented to it. It does not intend to do any work of its own to demonstrate whether and if more than 240 homes per annum could be provided for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 124.

There were no items referred from the Overview and Scrutiny bodies.